Gosford Park (2001)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Robert Altman (idea) and
Bob Balaban (idea) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Tea At Four. Dinner At Eight. Murder At Midnight.

Plot:

Multiple storylined drama set in 1932, showing the lives of upstairs guest and downstairs servants at a party in a country house in England.

Plot Keywords:

Servant | Shooting Party | Murder | Country House | Money

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 27 wins & 49 nominations

Cast

Maggie Smith	...	Constance Trentham
Michael Gambon	...	William McCordle
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Sylvia McCordle
Camilla Rutherford	...	Isobel McCordle
Charles Dance	...	Lord Raymond Stockbridge
Geraldine Somerville	...	Louisa Stockbridge
Tom Hollander	...	Anthony Meredith
Natasha Wightman	...	Lavinia Meredith
Jeremy Northam	...	Ivor Novello
Bob Balaban	...	Morris Weissman
James Wilby	...	Freddie Nesbitt
Claudie Blakley	...	Mabel Nesbitt
Laurence Fox	...	Rupert Standish
Trent Ford	...	Jeremy Blond
Ryan Phillippe	...	Henry Denton
Stephen Fry	...	Inspector Thompson
Ron Webster	...	Constable Dexter
Kelly Macdonald	...	Mary Maceachran
Clive Owen	...	Robert Parks
Helen Mirren	...	Mrs. Wilson
Eileen Atkins	...	Mrs. Croft
Emily Watson	...	Elsie
Alan Bates	...	Jennings
Derek Jacobi	...	Probert
Richard E. Grant	...	George
Jeremy Swift	...	Arthur
Sophie Thompson	...	Dorothy
Meg Wynn Owen	...	Lewis
Adrian Scarborough	...	Barnes
Frances Low	...	Sarah
Joanna Maude	...	Renee
Teresa Churcher	...	Bertha
Sarah Flind	...	Ellen
Finty Williams	...	Janet
Emma Buckley	...	May
Lucy Cohu	...	Lottie
Laura Harling	...	Ethel
Tilly Gerrard	...	Maud
Will Beer	...	Albert
Leo Bill	...	Jim
Gregor Henderson-Begg	...	Fred (as Gregor Henderson Begg)
John Atterbury	...	Merriman
Frank Thornton	...	Mr. Burkett
Ron Puttock	...	Strutt
Adrian Preater	...	McCordle's Loader
John Cox	...	Loader
Ken Davies	...	Loader
Tony Davies	...	Loader
Steve Markham	...	Loader
Terry Sturmey	...	Loader
Julian Such	...	Loader
Alan Bland	...	Beater
Peter Champion	...	Beater
Geoff Double	...	Beater
Robin Devereux	...	Beater
John Fountain	...	Beater
Richard Gamble	...	Beater
Brian Rumsey	...	Beater
George Sherman	...	Beater
Widget	...	Pip the Dog
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Natalie Danks-Smith	...	American Actress (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Altman

Writing credits
Robert Altman		(idea) and
Bob Balaban		(idea)
Julian Fellowes		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Altman	....	producer
Joshua Astrachan	....	co-producer
Bob Balaban	....	producer
Jane Barclay	....	executive producer
Julian Fellowes	....	associate producer
Jane Frazer	....	co-producer
Sharon Harel	....	executive producer
Robert Jones	....	executive producer
Hannah Leader	....	executive producer
David Levy	....	producer

Original Music by
Patrick Doyle

Cinematography by
Andrew Dunn		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Tim Squyres

Casting by
Mary Selway

Production Design by
Stephen Altman

Art Direction by
John Frankish		(supervising art director)
Sarah Hauldren

Set Decoration by
Anna Pinnock

Costume Design by
Jenny Beavan

Makeup Department
Jan Archibald	....	hair designer
Anita Burger	....	hair stylist
Deborah Jarvis	....	makeup artist
Sallie Jaye	....	chief makeup artist
Sharon Martin	....	makeup artist
Astrid Schikorra	....	hair stylist
Eric Scruby	....	barber
Loulia Sheppard	....	hair stylist
Kate Thompson	....	makeup artist (as Kate J. Thompson)
Norma Webb	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Joseph Jayawardena	....	unit manager
Tori Parry	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sara Desmond	....	second assistant director
Carlos Fidel	....	third assistant director
Richard Styles	....	first assistant director

Art Department
David Balfour	....	property master
Pete Beasley	....	additional stand-by carpenter (as Peter Beasley)
Chris Brown	....	construction h.o.d.
David Cheesman	....	dressing props
Fergus Clegg	....	property buyer
Marlon Cole	....	dressing props
Allan Croucher	....	hod plasterer (as Allan B. Croucher)
Gary Dawson	....	dressing prop trainee
Clive Drinkall	....	stagehand
Michael R. Driscoll	....	stagehand (as Michael Driscoll)
James Foster	....	stand-by art director
Colin Fox	....	drapes master
Mark Geeson	....	dressing props
Matthew Gray	....	assistant art director (as Matt Gray)
Margaret Graysmark	....	construction buyer
Tony Graysmark	....	construction manager
Robert Hill	....	stand-by props
Kevin Hopkins	....	painter
Frank Howe	....	drapes assistant
Bryce Johnston	....	supervising carpenter (as Bryce Johnstone)
Ray Lee	....	property buyer
Roy Martin	....	painter
Iain McFadyen	....	plasterer (as Ian McFadyen)
John McGolderick	....	carpenter (as John McGoldrick)
Hugh McKenzie	....	carpenter
John Mister	....	stand-by plasterer
James Muir	....	stand-by stagehand
Keith Muir	....	hod stagehand
Joseph Newman	....	carpenter
Maria Newsham	....	property department coordinator
John Porter	....	carpenter
Douglas Regan	....	painter
Shirley Robinson	....	art department coordinator
Albert Roper	....	stand-by painter
Barry Sams	....	plasterer
Richard Shackleton	....	carpenter
Keith Shannon	....	plasterer
Terence Simpson	....	carpenter
Adrian Start	....	hod scenic painter
Glenn Start	....	painter
Matthew Start	....	painter
Gregor Telfer	....	stand-by props
Terry Thompson	....	carpenter
Keith Vowles	....	property storeperson
John Watts	....	painter
Michael Weaver	....	painter
John Wells	....	location property master
Laurence Wells	....	chargehand dresser (as Lawrence Wells)
William Wells	....	dressing props
Lotta Wolgers	....	art department assistant
Colin Woodbridge	....	stand-by carpenter
Helen Xenopoulos	....	draughtsperson (as Helen A. Xenopoulos)
Jack Garwood	....	dressing props (uncredited)
Howard Weaver	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Hugo Adams	....	assistant foley editor
Julie Ankerson	....	foley artist
Foluso Aribigbola	....	assistant adr editor
John Bateman	....	adr and foley mixer
Nigel Bennett	....	sound re-recording mixer assistant
Benjamin Bober	....	boom operator
Peter Burgis	....	foley artist
Paul Carr	....	adr mixer
John Cochrane	....	dialogue editor
Ed Colyer	....	adr and foley mixer
Andie Derrick	....	foley artist (as Andi Derrick)
Rod Duggan	....	DTS technical support engineer
John Fewell	....	foley artist
Peter Glossop	....	sound mixer
Mark Gudgin	....	sound assistant
Howard Halsall	....	dialogue editor
Alan Harrison	....	trainee: FT2
Nina Hartstone	....	supervising dialogue editor
Lisa Inman	....	trainee: FT2
Robert Ireland	....	adr editor (as Rob Ireland)
Mark Lafbery	....	foley mixer
Stuart Mackay	....	trainee: FT2
Steve Mayer	....	assistant sound editor
Nneka Meka	....	trainee: FT2
Nigel Mills	....	supervising sound editor
Shaun Mills	....	boom operator
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Grahame Peters	....	foley editor
Robin Quinn	....	assistant dialogue editor
Esther Smith	....	assistant adr & foley mixer
Richard Street	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Tyler	....	assistant adr & foley mixer
Roger Slater	....	sound mixer: second unit (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Stuart Brisdon	....	special effects supervisor
Mark Haddenham	....	special effects technician
Peter Haran	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Ian Lowe	....	senior special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Simon Hughes	....	film scanning and recording services: Cinesite
Simon Minshall	....	film scanning and recording services: Cinesite
Stuart Pearson	....	film scanning and recording services: Cinesite
Dan Ashton	....	scanning and recording (uncredited)
Nick Drew	....	visual effects producer: Jim Henson's Creature Shop (uncredited)
Collette Nunes	....	visual effects editor: Jim Henson's Creature Shop (uncredited)
Schafer-Davies Oliver	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Joe Pavlo	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Adrian Ratley	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Mark Richardson	....	digital compositor: Jim Henson's Creature Shop (uncredited)
Michael Turoff	....	digital effects (uncredited)
Grant White	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Abbi Collins	....	riding double
Dinny Powell	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Mik Allen	....	focus puller (as Mikael Allen)
Sam Bloor	....	electrician
Derek Boyes	....	video assistant
Richard Sion Carroll	....	clapper loader
Robert Cuddy	....	electrician
Darren Flindall	....	additional stand-by rigger
Raymond Flindall	....	stand-by rigger
Pat Garrett	....	grip
Patrick James Grosswendt	....	gaffer (as Pat Grosswendt)
Robert Gurney	....	rigger
Sid Hinson	....	additional stand-by rigger
Malcolm Huse	....	grip
Brad Larner	....	focus puller
Stephen Lee	....	video operator
Liam McGill	....	best boy
Ronald Meeks	....	h.o.d. rigger
Neil Munro	....	electrician
Gary Nolan	....	electrician
Eamonn O'Keeffe	....	additional focus puller (as Eamon O'Keefe)
Andrew Purdy	....	generator operator
Ron Shane	....	electrician
Charlie Stanfield	....	camera trainee
Peter Taylor	....	camera operator
Mark Tillie	....	still photographer
Martyn Welland	....	electrician (as Martin Welland)
Paul Wheeldon	....	clapper loader
Iwan Williams	....	electrician
Jamie Mills	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Fiona Weir	....	casting assistant
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Andrew Hunt	....	wardrobe assistant
Anna Kot	....	assistant costume designer
Stephen Miles	....	additional wardrobe assistant
Sophie Norinder	....	wardrobe assistant
Jane Petrie	....	additional wardrobe assistant
Sunita Singh	....	wardrobe assistant
Clare Spragge	....	costume supervisor
Lee Croucher	....	daily costume assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lowell Dubrinsky	....	post-production assistant: US
Emily Grant	....	assistant editor: UK
Sacha Guttenstein	....	post-production assistant
Steve Harrow	....	post-production consultant
Peter Hunt	....	color grader
John F. Lyons	....	second assistant editor
Will MacNeil	....	assistant editor: UK (as Will Macneil)
Amanda Pollack	....	first assistant editor
Betty P. Teng	....	editing room assistant (as Betty Teng)
Steve Farman	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Lawrence Ashmore	....	orchestrator
Richard Bolton	....	musician: guitar
Nicholas Bucknall	....	musician: woodwinds
Tonia Davall	....	musicians contractor
Abigail Doyle	....	assistant music editor
Patrick Doyle	....	orchestrator
Brian Gascoigne	....	musician: piano
Eddie Hession	....	musician: accordion
Patrick Kiernan	....	musician: second violin
Yann McCullough	....	assistant music mixer
Yann McCullough	....	assistant music recordist
Ion Metsovitis	....	assistant music mixer
Ion Metsovitis	....	assistant music recordist
Perry Montague Mason	....	musician: first violin (as Perry Montague-Mason)
Christopher Northam	....	musician: piano
John Parricelli	....	musician: guitar
Andy Pask	....	musician: bass
James Potter	....	musician: cello
Vicky Quinn	....	assistant music producer
Maggie Rodford	....	music producer
Ralph Salmins	....	musician: drums
James Shearman	....	conductor
James Shearman	....	orchestrator
Tony Stanton	....	music preparation
Graham Sutton	....	music editor
Jamie Talbot	....	musician: woodwinds
Chris Tombling	....	musician: second violin
Ivo van der Worff	....	musician: viola (as Ivo Van Der Werff)
Hugh Webb	....	musician: harp
Bruce White	....	musician: viola
Nick Wollage	....	music mixer
Nick Wollage	....	music recordist

Transportation Department
Daniel Brown	....	facility/truck driver
Roy Clarke	....	transportation coordinator
Terry Collins	....	unit driver
George Corrigan	....	facility/truck driver
Clive Crawley	....	unit driver
Gerry Floyd	....	unit driver
Len Furssedonn	....	unit driver
John Geary	....	action vehicles: Motorhouse Hire Ltd.
Rob Hanson	....	facility/truck driver
Phil Houghton	....	facility/truck driver (as Phil Haughton)
Simon Hudnott	....	unit driver (as Simon Hudnot)
Bob McGovern	....	facility/truck driver
John McMeekin	....	facility/truck driver
John Reid	....	facility/truck driver
Phil Richman	....	facility/truck driver
Dean Roberts	....	facility/truck driver
Steve Rose	....	facility/truck driver
Stanley Sirkin	....	unit driver (as Stanley Surkin)
Barry Stevenson	....	unit driver
Gary Sutch	....	facility/truck driver
Bob Turner	....	facility/truck driver

Other crew
Vicki Allen	....	additional floor runner
Wren Arthur	....	representative: Sandcastle 5 Productions
Simon August	....	location assistant
Celia Barnett	....	researcher
Patricia Barr	....	unit nurse
Robin Bell	....	stills processing: Visions
Steve Boag	....	titles and opticals
Charles Bodycomb	....	armorer: Perdix Firearms (as Charlie Bodycombe)
Debbie Brodie	....	home economist
Martin Bullard	....	titles and opticals
Mark Bunce	....	caterer: Chorley Bunce Meals on a Mission
Richards Butler	....	legal services: UK
Caroline Chapman	....	floor runner
Dave Chorley	....	caterer: Chorley Bunce Meals on a Mission
May Chu	....	assistant to director
Phil Churchfield	....	caterer: Chorley Bunce Meals on a Mission
Gillian Clyde	....	business affairs: Film Council's Premiere Fund
Tony Cuomo	....	security
Jason Curtis	....	health and safety advisor
Steve Dent	....	horse handler
Penny Eyles	....	script supervisor
Rebecca Farrant	....	work experience
Joan Field	....	stand-in
Terry Green	....	security
Simon Hall	....	legal services: UK
Vinnie Holden	....	production finance: Film Council's Premiere Fund (as Vince Holden)
Arthur Inch	....	technical advisor: butler
Claudia Kalindjian	....	unit publicist
Anya Keith	....	assistant production coordinator
Violet Liddle	....	technical advisor: parlour maid
Gary Messer	....	stand-in
Zoie Miller	....	trainee accounts assistant
Lew Morgan	....	security
Luke Morris	....	production executive: Film Council's Premiere Fund
Ruth Mott	....	technical advisor: cook
Julian Murray	....	second assistant accountant
Ruth Nicol	....	construction nurse
Brock Norman Brock	....	production executive: Film Council's Premiere Fund
Christopher Northam	....	piano tutor
David Oliver	....	stand-in
Kevin O'Shea	....	insurance services: AON Albert G Ruben
Jackie O'Sullivan	....	business affairs: Film Council's Premiere Fund
Ray Pascoe	....	projectionist: rushes theatre
Ned Paul	....	bridge tutor
Samar Pollitt	....	additional floor runner
Ron Puttock	....	technical advisor: pheasant shoot
Sue Quinn	....	location manager
Ben Rakison	....	production runner
Luke Randolph	....	completion guaranty provider: International Film Guarantors
Kay Raven	....	dog handler: Animals O Kay
Scott Reid	....	security
Claire Robertson	....	first assistant accountant
Bella Sabbagh	....	stand-in
Rowley Samuel	....	work experience
George Sheanshang	....	legal services: USA
Allison Shigo	....	representative: Chicagofilms
David Slattery-Christy	....	consultant: Ivor Novello
Barry Smith	....	legal services: UK
Gina Stewart	....	assistant home economist
Matthew Symonds	....	titles and opticals
Hamish Tavendale	....	location assistant
Alistair Thompson	....	production accountant
Katherine Tidy	....	assistant home economist
Brett Tyne	....	assistant to producer
Clare Wade	....	floor runner (as Clare 'Woody' Wade)
Kevin Walker	....	billiards tutor
Andy Watson	....	health and safety advisor
Julia Wilson Dickson	....	dialogue coach (as Julia Wilson-Dixon)
Winnie Wishart	....	production coordinator
Michael J. Harker	....	completion bond representative (uncredited)
Darren Helman	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Chris Klockner	....	runner (uncredited)
Kelly Spearman	....	production runner (uncredited)

Thanks
Elmer Balaban	....	the producers wish to thank
Gary Brady	....	the producers wish to thank
Sam Cohn	....	the producers wish to thank
Maxine Davidson	....	the producers wish to thank
Pam Dixon	....	the producers wish to thank (as Pam Dixon Mickelson)
John Ensby	....	the producers wish to thank
Avy Eschenasy	....	the producers wish to thank
Stephen Frears	....	the producers wish to thank
Rob Garvie	....	the producers wish to thank (as Rob Garvey)
Donna Gigliotti	....	the producers wish to thank
Hortense Izac	....	the producers wish to thank
Patrick McEnellay	....	the producers wish to thank (as Pat McEnallay)
John Mellor	....	the producers wish to thank
Ian Neil	....	the producers wish to thank
Paul Olliver	....	the producers wish to thank
Nigel Palmer	....	the producers wish to thank
Anita Patel	....	the producers wish to thank
Nick Pocock	....	the producers wish to thank
Anita Serwacki	....	the producers wish to thank
Hugh Whittaker	....	the producers wish to thank

Production Companies

• USA Films (presents)
• Capitol Films (in association with)
• Film Council (in association with)
• Sandcastle 5 Productions
• Chicagofilms (in association with)
• Medusa Produzione (in association with) (as Medusa Film)

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Golden Scene (2002) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2002) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Triangelfilm (2002) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Capitol Films (non-USA)
• Distribution Company (Argentina)
• Entertainment Film Distributors
• Hollydan Works (2003) (Serbia and Montenegro) (DVD)
• Laurenfilm (Spain)
• Mars Distribution
• Medusa Distribuzione
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2002) (Romania) (all media)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2002) (Finland) (all media)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• USA Films (USA)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Germany)
• United International Pictures (Far East)
• Universal Pictures (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Studios (200?) (USA) (TV)

Special Effects

• Jim Henson's Creature Shop (digital effects)
• United Special Effects

Other Companies

• AEI Danzas  shipping
• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance services (as AON Albert G Ruben)
• Air-Edel Associates  music production
• Air-Edel Recording Studios  music recorded and mixed at (as Air-Edel Recording Studios, London)
• Animals Okay  animals provided by (as Animals O Kay)
• Axium  payroll services: UK (as Axium 'UK' Ltd)
• Axium/Avalon Entertainment Services  payroll services: US (as Axium Entertainment Services)
• Banque Internationale A Luxembourg S.A.  banking finance provided by (as Dexia-Banque Internationale Á Luxembourg S.A.)
• CI Travel Consultants  travel
• Capital Medical Services  unit medical coverage
• Casting Collective  crowd casting (as The Casting Collective)
• Chanel Joaillerie  the producers wish to thank
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies (uncredited)
• Chorley Bunce Meals on a Mission (I)  catering
• Cine Image Film Opticals  titles and opticals (as Cineimage)
• Cinesite  film scanning and recording services by
• Cosprop  costumiers
• De Gournay  the producers wish to thank
• Decca Records  soundtrack available on
• Film 4X4  transport facilities
• Film Council Premiere Fund  made with the support of
• Hyperactive Broadcast  editing equipment (as Hyperactive Broadcast Video Hire)
• International Film Guarantors  completion guaranty provided by
• Kodak  motion picture film
• Lays International  transport facilities provided by
• Lee Lighting  lighting equipment
• London & New York Wig Company  wigs supplied by (as The London & New York Wig Company)
• McDonald and Rutter  publicity (as McDonald & Rutter)
• Midnight Transfer  telecine of dailies
• Motorhouse  action vehicles (as Motorhouse Hire Ltd.)
• Movie Makers Facilities  transport facilities provided by
• National Film Trustee Company  receipts collected and distributed by
• Nationwide Access  cranes
• On Set Location Services  transport facilities
• Orbit Digital  editing equipment
• Panavision UK  camera and lenses
• Perdix Firearms Ltd.  armourer
• Professional Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script
• Shepperton Film Studios  foley/adr studio
• Shepperton Film Studios  post-production facilities
• Shepperton Film Studios  sound re-recorded at
• Steeple Post Production Services  post-production consultant
• Studio Workshops  transport facilities provided by
• Syncspeed Post Prod  sound transfers (as Syncspeed Post Production)
• Tessiers  the producers wish to thank
• Thorney Court Management and Staff  the producers wish to thank
• Twickenham Film Studios  foley studio
• UMG Soundtracks  soundtrack (uncredited)
• Visions  stills processing
• Wavevend Communications  radios (as Wavevend Radio Communications)
• World Wide Express  shipping

Also Known As:

Gosford Park (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

UK | USA | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | USA:R (certificate #38606) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Argentina:16 | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Hall Barn, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

USA Films

Trivia:

There really was a Charlie Chan in London (1934) film made in 1934 and it was indeed a mystery set in an English manor house. While it did feature Alan Mowbray and Ray Milland, it was produced by John Stone, not Morris Weissman (a fictional character).

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During the pheasant shoot, clucking can be heard. Pheasants do not sound like chickens, they make their own distinctive noise.

Quotes:

Raymond Stockbridge: Do stop snivelling - anyone would think you were Italian.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Culture Show: British Film Special (#6.8)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Glamorous Night

Right said Bob!

Robert Altman's long, fragmented and very hit-or-miss career reaches another of his periodic highs with this clever and beautifully realised dissection of the English class system and skit on the classic Agatha Christie whonunnit.

Altman's preferences for kaleidoscopic social observation has sometimes failed in the past due to the weight of its own ambition: multi-plotted and multi-charactered snapshots of time and place held together by loose ties or a general thematic framework. Sometimes it pays off spectacularly (Nashville); sometimes it flatters to deceive (Short Cuts).

It works well here due to the necessary discipline of the single location and the greater opportunities for interaction among the characters this affords. Add to that an exemplary cast of (mostly) British character actors and a knowing script by Julian Fellowes that gives Altman's keenly observant camera plenty of time to make its own points.

Rightly, Altman is less concerned with the murder mystery, which is almost an aside, than with the opportunity given by a shooting party at a 1930s stately mansion to observe the English aristocracy and their servants in social interaction.

Never happier than when involved in a bit of human anthropology, Altman lightly dissects the complexities and hierarchies which go on both above and below stairs; in which many subtle and unsubtle rituals are played out among groups of people who clearly dislike each other but are forced through circumstance, need or employment to observe the fundamental social practices required.

1932 is also a time of intruding change into the nature of the old English ruling classes, slowly disintegrating in this between-wars period and, in this case, largely reliant on the wealth of one particularly reluctant patron to keep them in furs and flunkies. In on this act comes the (to them) faintly odious whiff of 20th century new money, represented by Hollywood and popular culture. These intruders are kept in their place, but the message is clear - change is coming, and coming fast.

The muted colours and autumnal setting continue this theme of a world in terminal decline and of a group of characters keenly conscious of place and tradition yet also wearied and exhausted by it. Only at the very end, when fundamental change has occurred and many characters are left to face up to very different destinies do we see a bit of sunshine creeping in, heralding the dawn of a new era.

The cast are all excellent, with special mention deserving of Maggie Smith's effortless scene stealing as a bitchy but broke old Countess; the ever reliable Jeremy Northam as matinee idol Ivor Novello, well aware of his place in the great scheme of things and young Kelly Macdonald in the pivotal role of Smith's harassed maid who's inquisitiveness rattles a whole load of family skeletons.